Tigerclaw's treachery
by ivyyleaf
Summary: Have you ever wondered how Tigerclaw became so evil? He wasn't evil before Firestar came along, so what is the reason? Click on this story to find out the story from his kit-hood to his final breath.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! This is Ivyleaf here. This is my first publishing, but not my first writing:), so I hope you enjoy it. Please don't hesitate to review my story, because I'm looking for ways to improve it.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WARRIORS.**

 **DISCLAIMER 2: I STARTED WRITING THIS BEFORE _TIGERCLAW'S FURY_ CAME OUT, BUT I WILL STILL BE USING SCENES FROM THAT BOOK.**

" _Why don't you go see what Lionpaw's doing,"_ Leopardfoot suggested.

"Okay!" Tigerkit chirped. He leaped to his paws and charged out of the nursery and crashed right into a cat. Lashing out with his claws he yowled, "ShadowClan intruders!"

The other cat gently cuffed him around the ear and meowed, "It's time you were made an apprentice!" Tigerkit looked up and saw Thistleclaw looking down with him, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Where are you going?"

"To go see Lionpaw," Tigerkit announced.

"He's in the elders' den."

"Okay!" Tigerkit charged off and bounced into the elders' den. Lionpaw was holding a stick with moss on it. He tasted the air and a foul scent hit the air. "Yuck! What's that?"

"Mouse-bile," replied Lionpaw, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Foul stuff," he muttered.

"Larksong," Tigerkit meowed, "do you have a story?"

A tortoiseshell she-cat rose swiftly to her paws and meowed, "Are you sure, little one?"

"Yes! Yes!" Tigerkit mewed.

"All right. What story do you want?" Larksong asked.

"Cloudfeather!" Lionpaw meowed, coming over and settling down next to Tigerkit.

"Once, in the time of LeopardClan, TigerClan and LionClan, there was a great warrior named Cloudfeather. His father was Blizzardfall, deputy of TigerClan. Cloudfeather was a very loyal cat, and he thought that he could be the next deputy, after Blizzardfall became leader. The moons passed by, and Blizzardfall became older. He was not the noble cat he had once been. Then one day, he announced to the Clan, 'I am becoming old, and I am going to become a loner.' And all the cats were shocked, especially Cloudfeather.

"So something in his mind made him think that he needed to avenge his father's betrayal. He became Swiftstar's deputy. Then he became ambitious. He felt that he needed to avenge the spot as Clan leader that Blizzardfall would have been. So he set a trap for Swiftstar near the Thunderpath and Swiftstar was crushed by a monster. The Clan didn't know, and Cloudfeather became leader. He pushed his Clan to many battles and he—"

"Tigerkit! Time for a nap!" Leopardfoot meowed, pushing her way into the elders' den.

"I don't want to!" he whined. "That's boring. And I'm not tired!"

"You'll come now," she snapped. Without waiting for a response she stormed out of the den. Tigerkit scampered after her. When they arrived in the nursery she turned on him. "What were you doing in there?"

"Larksong was telling us a story about Cloudfeather—"

"Cloudfeather was a fool! Now, please go to the nursery and nap." Leopardfoot meowed sharply.

Tigerkit realized that his mother was right about him being tired. He padded over to his nest. He thought about Larksong's story and Cloudfeather. _If Pinestar ever leaves the Clan to become a loner or a rogue, I swear by StarClan that I am going to follow Cloudfeather's pawsteps, whatever happens._ He tried to think more, but the nursery was already fading into darkness…

Tigerkit dreamed he was hunting in the forest. He opened his jaws to scent the air. Squirrel! He soon saw squirrel nibbling on a nut. Instinctively he dropped down into a hunter's crouch, stalking the squirrel. He was two tail-lengths away, and he tensed his body to strike. _Now!_ He leaped, but his paws hit the ground too early, and the squirrel darted away. "Mouse-dung!"

"Do you want some help?" Tigerkit jumped, and whirled around to see who had spoken.

A gray tabby sat down a couple of tail-lengths away, watching him with amusement. "My name is Hawkshadow. This is the Dark Forest, and I train cats to make them better warriors' than ever before."

"Really?" Tigerkit mewed. "Can I learn some moves?"

"What is your name, young one?"

"Tigerkit."

"Tiger _kit_?"

"Yes. I want to learn some moves," he repeated.

"Okay. Let's learn some of the basic moves. When an enemy attacks you, dodge. Then while they are recovering, attack."

"Can I try?" Tigerkit asked.

"Sure," Hawkshadow responded. "Try it on me."

Tigerkit narrowed his eyes and waited for Hawkshadow to attack. With a ferocious snarl, he leaped. He waited until the last heartbeat, then dodged nimbly to one side. At the same heartbeat it took Hawkshadow to regain his footing, he pounced on him. They fought in a whirl of claws and teeth, Hawkshadow finally managed to pin him down on the forest floor.

"Good," Hawkshadow praised. "You're learning well. Now, if an enemy has you pinned down, keep struggling and then lie still. Your enemy thinks they've won, so they loosen their grip, then you surge up and attack. Try it," he added with a slight flick of his ears.

Tigerkit braced himself up for the attack and Hawkshadow charged at him. Tigerkit tried to leap to one side to one side, but as he leaped Hawkshadow flashed out a paw and tripped him, and pinned him down. He remembered what Hawkshadow said. 'When an enemy has you pinned down, keep struggling then lie still…'

He struggled, then lay still. Just then, he surged up, and only had the strength to pin Hawkshadow for a couple of heartbeats, before Hawkshadow threw him off and he went flying across the clearing. The impact nearly took his breath away, but he scrambled to his paws and shook scraps of dead leaves from his pelt.

"Can I learn any more moves?" Tigerkit asked eagerly.

Hawkshadow looked up to the Dark Forest sky. "Dawn is approaching, Tigerkit, but we will meet again tonight. And," he added, "I have a feeling something bad is going to happen today…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, and welcome to Chapter 2! Thanks for the two people that reviewed my story:) I hope you enjoy this chapter! - Ivyleaf**

 ***DISCLAIMER* I DON'T OWN WARRIORS:)**

 _Tigerkit struggled to his paws and_ blinked in the light streaming into the nursery. It must be nearly sunhigh. He padded out of the nursery to reach the fresh-kill pile. He picked up a mouse and found a nice sheltered spot beside the apprentices den. He was just about to lean down and eat when Thistleclaw burst into the clearing, his fur bristling.

"What is it, Thistleclaw?" Sunfall had just emerged from the warriors' den and padded over to see what was going on, Thrushpelt hard on his paws.

"RiverClan! They're all over the forest!" Thistleclaw growled.

"Where's Pinestar?" Sunfall asked urgently.

"I don't know." Thistleclaw shook his head.

"Lionpaw!" Sunfall called the apprentice over with his tail. Lionpaw, who was sharing tongues with Goldenpaw, bounded over. "Lionpaw, I have a mission for you. You've got to find Pinestar and warn him RiverClan is attacking. Thistleclaw," he added, as Lionpaw raced off, "does RiverClan know that you saw them?"

The spiky warrior shook his head, Sunfall meowed thoughtfully, "Well, then that could be to our advantage. RiverClan doesn't know our territory at all. If they are trying to take over, we could lead a patrol to attack at once, then lead a patrol to the far side of Sunningrocks. Stormtail, you can lead the patrol to the far side, and I'll lead the patrol to straight to Sunningrocks. Stormtail, choose which cats come with you. Bluefur, Snowfur, Thistleclaw, Thrushpelt and Goldenpaw. The rest of you go with Stormtail's patrol."

All the cats rushed off at once, leaving Tigerkit alone in the clearing. With an ominous feeling, he suddenly remembered his dream. Hawkshadow had trained him, and at the end of the training session Hawkshadow had said, 'I have a feeling something bad is going to happen today…' Was RiverClan going to beat ThunderClan? Would they drive ThunderClan out? Tigerkit rushed into the nursery, a million questions crowding in his head. Aloud he mewed, "ThunderClan better win this battle!"

Leopardfoot stirred, drowsily blinking in the light streaming into the nursery. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Tigerkit meowed, not really paying attention. He was anxious to find out who won the battle.

After what seemed like moons, Sunfall padded into the clearing, Bluefur right behind him, triumph reflected on both of their faces. "Did you win? Did you win?" Tigerkit bounded up to Sunfall.

"Yes, we did win." Sunfall replied. Then the Pinestar padded out of the gorse tunnel.

"Pinestar!" Sunfall exclaimed. "Where were you?"

Pinestar didn't reply at once. "Did you win?"

Sunfall nodded. "We chased those fish-faces back as far as the river. They still have Sunningrocks—that is a battle for another day—but they won't set foot across the border for a while."

Tigerkit narrowed his eyes. ThunderClan won, he thought, so that's not the bad thing that Hawkshadow promised… but then what was it? he wondered.

"Good." Pinestar was meowing. He padded across the clearing and jumped onto the Highrock. "Let all the cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting." Tigerkit saw Bluefur exchange a glance with Rosepaw, looking puzzled.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Pinestar began. His voice echoed around the clearing, and all the cats became silent. "I can no longer be your leader. From now on, I will leave the Clan and live with housefolk in the Twolegplace."

 _What_? Tigerkit leaped to his paws, yowling in defiance.

"You're going to be a kittypet?" Stormtail growled.

Sunfall stared at him in disbelief. "Why?"

Adderfang dug his claws deep in the earth.

"How could you?" Poppydawn burst out.

Pinestar bowed his head. "I have been honored to serve you this long. The rest of my life will be spent as a kittypet, where I have no battles to fight, no lives depending on me for food and safety."

"Coward." Adderfang hissed.

"I have given eight lives to ThunderClan—each of them willingly. But I am not ready to risk my ninth."

"You would live among StarClan, and share tongues with the Clanmates you have lost."

Pinestar sighed. "I am doing this for ThunderClan, I promise."

"You're doing it for _you_ ," Stormtail growled.

Tigerkit couldn't listen any longer. He turned and fled to the nursery and settled down into his mossy nest. He wanted to see Hawkshadow again. Hawkshadow didn't betray his Clan. Hawkshadow didn't turn his back on Clan life to become a kittypet!

He closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer: _Send me to the Dark Forest! Please!_

He opened his eyes and looked around. Yes! He turned and padded into the trees. Where was Hawkshadow? Suddenly, a figure leaped on him from behind, knocking the breath out of him. He lashed out with his forepaws, but the cat held a firm grip. _What in the name of StarClan?_ "Be alert at all times!" the cat hissed into his ear.

 _Hawkshadow?_

The cat released him. "Come," he ordered.

Tigerkit padded after the mottled tom as he led him through the rank forest. Hawkshadow suddenly stopped, almost causing Tigerkit to crash into his hindquarters.

Hawkshadow opened his mouth to taste the air and then padded forward quickly, stirring up the dead leaves that littered the ground. He led Tigerkit around a bush, over a grip. The first thing Tigerkit noticed were the three cats peering at him with dark eyes.

"Hello, Mapleshade, Silverhawk, Thistleclaw." Hawkshadow greeted them.

Tigerkit gasped, recognizing the fierce warrior's spiky fur.

"Thistleclaw?" Tigerkit gasped.

"Yes, little one?" Thistleclaw's eyes were warm.

"I didn't know that you were here too!"

"Well," Thistleclaw replied, "Silverhawk has taught me well."

"Can I see?" Tigerkit asked eagerly.

Thistleclaw nodded. Narrowing his eyes, he sprang at Silverhawk. Silverhawk dodged nimbly to one side and lunged for Thistleclaw, but Thistleclaw leaped back. The two cats stalked around each other, hostility both their eyes. Suddenly Silverhawk launched himself in the air. Tigerkit gasped, expecting Thistleclaw to be crushed, but instead Thistleclaw flipped onto his belly. Silverhawk landed right into Thistleclaw outstretched paws, and Thistleclaw flung Silverhawk off of him.

Jumping quickly to his paws, Thistleclaw leaped into the air and attacked Silverhawk. The two cats were rolling across the hard forest floor, a whirl of teeth and claws. Suddenly Silverhawk was on top, one paw on top of Thistleclaw's throat. Thistleclaw struggled but couldn't get free. Silverhawk released Thistleclaw, who was gasping for air. Thistleclaw leaped to his paws, impatiently shaking scraps of moss of his pelt.

"Can I try again?" he pleaded to Silverhawk.

Silverhawk shook his head. "Let's see what Tigerkit and Hawkshadow can do," he suggested.

"Okay." Thistleclaw shrugged.

Tigerkit should be scared, but all he felt was excitement. He padded forward into the shady clearing. Hawkshadow stalked around Tigerkit. He remembered what Hawkshadow had taught him. His heart was beating so fast that he was sure that ShadowClan could hear it right now. Suddenly, Hawkshadow bowled him over with such force that he flew across the clearing. He heard Mapleshade mutter to Silverhawk, "He's too young!"

"But Pinestar left ThunderClan to become a _kittypet_ ," he reminded her. "He wants revenge!"

 _Yes, I do,_ Tigerkit thought. He scrambled to his paws and launched himself at Hawkshadow. Taking Hawkshadow by surprise, Hawkshadow staggered back, and yowled in pain. Tigerkit leaped into the air, and seeing Hawkshadow flip onto his back, just like Thistleclaw, he turned in midair so that he landed neatly right _beside_ Hawkshadow, instead of landing in Hawkshadow outstretched paws. With Hawkshadow's belly exposed, he leaped forward with no hesitation. He clawed at Hawkshadow's exposed belly, leaving a huge claw wound. Blood spilled out of the wound, leaving Hawkshadow moving feebly in the dust.

 _What have I done?_ he thought in horror. "Have I killed him?" he wailed, his eyes bright with fear.

Mapleshade pushed her way forward. The padded over to Hawkshadow and hissed in his ear, "You weakling! You let a _kit_ beat you?"

Silverhawk hissed. "Go and lick your wounds, Hawkshadow. Admit defeat."

"He won't be your mentor anymore," Thistleclaw meowed. "I always knew he was weak. Now Silverhawk can share your training with me. Mapleshade, I thought you had Crookedjaw?"

Mapleshade nodded. "I must go see him now."

She turned and padded away into the bushes.

Thistleclaw turned to him. "This is the Dark Forest, where only the best cats train. The warrior code is nothing. You just lost Pinestar, and now Hawkshadow. I know you're grieving. But you must be strong. Have you heard about Cloudfeather? Well, he was trained here too. Do you want to follow his pawsteps? Or do you want to mope around like Bluefur did when Snowfur died?"

"I will follow the Dark Forest," Tigerkit meowed solemnly. _I can be trained here!_

"Do you promise?" Thistleclaw meowed.

"Yes," Tigerkit replied.

"Are you ready?

"Yes, I am."

"Then let's start!" Thistleclaw growled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! I'm back with a new chapter! I hope you enjoy:)) Please don't forget to review! - Ivyleaf**

"Let all the cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Sunstar's call woke Tigerkit. He had trained all night, and now he was exhausted. He scrambled to his paws and padded into the clearing. He heard pawsteps. Leopardfoot was racing towards him, her eyes bright with panic.

"Tigerkit! You're about to become an apprentice! Quick! Wash!"

Tigerkit didn't care about how his pelt looked. He was going to become an apprentice!

"Clanmates, it's time to welcome a new apprentice." Sunstar leaped down from the Highrock and landed in front of him. "Tigerkit is six moons old and more than ready to become an apprentice. From this day, until he earns his warrior name, he shall be known as Tigerpaw."

"Thistleclaw will be his mentor."

Thistleclaw padded over, tail high. Tigerpaw touched noses with Thistleclaw, accepting him as his mentor.

"Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw!" The Clan yowled. Tigerpaw raison his head proudly.

As the Clan split up, Tigerpaw turned to Thistleclaw. "What are we going to do?" he asked eagerly.

"I'm going to show you the territory, then I'll show you some hunting techniques," Thistleclaw replied.

"Let's go, then!" Tigerpaw bounded towards the gorse tunnel. Pushing his way through, he stared into the forest. "It's huge!" he breathed.

Thistleclaw pushed past him. "This way," he meowed, showing him a path that had been used by ThunderClan cats by many generations. Tigerpaw padded after Thistleclaw.

Soon the trees leveled out to show a huge space of rocks.

"This is Sunningrocks," Thistleclaw meowed, "and this," he continued, "is the border line. It follows all the way to Fourtrees."

Suddenly Thistleclaw pricked his ears. "RiverClan patrol!"

Tigerpaw listened, and soon he could hear the pawsteps of a fast approaching patrol. Three warriors burst out of the bushes, onto the smooth rocks.

Thistleclaw bared his teeth in a snarl. "You're hunting on our territory," he growled, showing his teeth. "Take one more pawstep then you're crow food!"

"We can go wherever we like," the RiverClan warrior retorted. He flicked his tail. Five more RiverClan warriors emerged from the bushes. Their pelts were sleek and glossy. They were well fed, despite leaf-bare. Tigerpaw shuffled his paws uncomfortably. They were outnumbered.

"Sunningrocks are ours!" Thistleclaw snarled. "You fish-faces have always been greedy for territory!"

"Never!" the RiverClan warrior snarled. "RiverClan, attack!" The RiverClan warriors launched themselves at the two cats, not caring that they were only facing a warrior and his apprentice.

A dark gray tom landed on Tigerpaw, his weight crushing him. Tigerpaw squirmed beneath the warrior, but he could not get free. Suddenly, a battle cry yowled out and he heard the pounding of paws on the smooth rocks. The weight was wrenched off him and he scrambled to his paws to see Thrushpelt grappling with the warrior. Help had come!

Tigerpaw leaped back into the heat of the battle, remembering what Hawkshadow had taught him. He spotted a tabby tortoiseshell she-cat creeping up on Sunstar. Narrowing his eyes, he judged the distance then leaped for the she-cat, bowling her over, but she quickly scrambled back to her paws and lashed out strongly with her forepaws. The blow connected and his shoulder exploded with pain, but he fought back and leaped for her neck.

The she-cat leaped neatly out of the way, and, catching Tigerpaw flat-footed, she pounced on him, leaving him struggling desperately to get free. The she-cat's eyes glowed with triumph, and she hissed, "You snake-hearts! Did you think you were going to win this battle? Because you aren't. Look at your precious little warriors now!" She revealed a gap so that Tigerpaw could see.

 _Oh, no!_ he thought in horror. Half of ThunderClan were lying on the rocks, RiverClan warriors pacing among them, ready to pounce if any of them moved. _Never!_ he yowled silently. With a big grunt of effort, he surged upwards, raking his claws down her belly. She yowled in pain and turned, screeching, towards the river. Tigerpaw felt a surge of satisfaction, but the battle wasn't over yet. Thistleclaw was still fighting, with Sunstar, and Thrushpelt. Suddenly a yowl sounded from the forest. "ThunderClan, attack!" He turned around to see Adderfang, Stormtail, Lionheart, Goldenflower and Bluefur.

ThunderClan flew onto their enemies, claws unsheathed, bursting with energy. A gray tom took one look at the attackers and turned and fled, yowling, "RiverClan! Retreat!"

Adderfang and Stormtail chased after them, only to be called back by Sunstar. "They've had enough," he called.

Adderfang and Stormtail skidded to a halt.

"We still need Featherwhisker to take a look at Thrushpelt, he has a bad belly wound," Tigerpaw commented.

Sunstar acknowledged him with a nod. "Yes, Tigerpaw, you are right. You fought well for your first battle, especially without any training."

Tigerpaw nodded, but then thought, _No, because Hawkshadow has trained me_! _But the others don't know that,_ he added, _and Thistleclaw won't want me to tell anyone, either…_

"Yes, you did fight well for your _first_ time," Thistleclaw meowed smoothly. "Now, should we continue patrolling the border?"

"Yes, I—" Tigerpaw meowed eagerly, only to get interrupted by Bluefur.

"No, I think that Tigerpaw needs to rest. It's been a big battle."

"But Tigerpaw needs to explore the territory!" Thistleclaw growled. "Last time _I_ checked, I was still his mentor?"

"Yes, but I still think—" Bluefur began.

"Come on, Tigerpaw, we're going!"

 _You're not my mentor!_ He felt a sudden surge of dislike towards the blue warrior.

Thistleclaw padded into the forest again, and headed to a small, sandy hollow.

"This is the sandy hollow, where most of your training sessions will be held."

"Thistleclaw?" Tigerpaw began hesitantly.

"Yes?" Thistleclaw replied as he brushed through the undergrowth.

"About the Dark Forest…is it real? Like, I mean do I actually dream about it? Or do I imagine it?"

"Of course it's real! It's where the greatest warriors train. They fight, and they learn things other than the warrior code. They learn to be true warriors. They learn to be great!"

"And I shall follow your pawsteps," Tigerpaw vowed.

Tigerpaw padded back to camp exhausted. Lionpaw was racing towards him.

"Tigerpaw! I'm about to become a warrior! Now!"

"That's great!" Tigerpaw replied wearily. He settled down beneath the Highrock just as Sunstar emerged from his den.

"Let all the cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Sunstar yowled.

Gradually all of the cats began to emerge from their dens. 

"Clanmates, today is happy day. Lionpaw fought bravely in the battle today, and it is time for him to become a warrior. Lionpaw. Come here." He beckoned Lionpaw forward with his tail.

Lionpaw bounded forward to beneath the Highrock. Sunstar raised his voice. "I, Sunstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn." Sunstar turned to Lionpaw. "Lionpaw. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Lionpaw meowed evenly.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Lionpaw, from this moment you will be known as Lionheart. StarClan honors your courage and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Tigerpaw raised his voice. "Lionheart! Lionheart!"

The other warriors joined in. "Lionheart! Lionheart! Lionheart!"

Exhausted, Tigerpaw pushed his way into the apprentices' den. After the battle, Thistleclaw had made him patrol the border, then they had practiced hunting, _then_ they had to try it out, then they did battle training. Finally, Thistleclaw meowed, "That's enough for today, be at the Great Sycamore tomorrow at dawn."

Warily, he circled in his nest, trying to get comfortable. Finally, he closed his eyes into a dream. The Dark Forest loomed in front of him. Thistleclaw and Shredtail were locked in combat. Thistleclaw darted in and raked his claws onto Shredtail's belly, but Shredtail slammed his body down on Thistleclaw.

Tigerpaw winced. Shredtail had pinned Thistleclaw down , and Thistleclaw was squirming helplessly beneath him. Tigerpaw padded out of the bushes.

"You're late," Shredtail snapped.

"Sorry," Tigerpaw apologized. "It's just so hard to believe that the Clan's method of training apprentices is claws sheathed."

Shredtail lashed his tail. "I know. Soon enough, Sunstar will realize that Tawnyspots is weak and old. Thistleclaw will lead the Clan soon, and he will eventually take all four Clans. But how?" Shredtail wondered, half to himself.

Tigerpaw's eyes shone. "When Thistleclaw becomes leader, he could make me deputy. Once I'm deputy, I'll chose the strongest cats in the Clan to go a Gathering—cats who would carry out my orders without question," he paused, looking around, and was glad to see that Shredtail was nodding approvingly, "then, when every Clan is there except for ours, we will attack! The other Clans wouldn't stand a chance. They are all too focused on clinging onto the warrior code. We would have the advantage!"

Thistleclaw nodded. "Yes, but what about Bluefur, and all those other cats who would challenge you?"

"We could kill them, or do something so that the Clan would turn against that cat," Shredtail suggested, not giving Tigerpaw a chance to reply.

"Can we get started now?" Tigerpaw asked, starting to grow impatient.

"Did you work on that leap-and-turn move?" Shredtail asked Tigerpaw.

Tigerpaw nodded.

"Try it on me," he meowed.

Tigerpaw narrowed his eyes. Thistleclaw had made him practice and practice until he got it perfectly.

Shredtail growled, pacing around Tigerpaw. He would have to make his move soon, or Shredtail would move first. _If I just can force him over beside the bramble bush, I can just_ —

A hard and well-aimed blow caught him off guard. He went flying through the air, slammed into a tree, and fell, winded.

Before he could scramble to his paws, Shredtail pounced on him, knocking the breath out of him once again.

"Try again," Shredtail growled. "This time, don't daydream."

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! More coming soon:) - Ivyleaf**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sup! Here's a new chapter, I hope you like it! Also please review. Thanks!**

Tigerpaw opened his eyes. It had been one moon since his apprentice ceremony, but since then, he felt as if he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. He wanted nothing but to curl up and sleep longer, but he knew that he had to meet Thistleclaw in the training hollow. With a sigh, he padded out of his nest and into the clearing. Thistleclaw was pacing in front of the warriors' den. When he spotted Tigerpaw, he marched over to him.

"Let's go," he meowed. "And remember, _claws sheathed_."

"I know," Tigerpaw meowed impatiently.

He followed Thistleclaw out of camp, following the now familiar way to the sandy hollow. Thrushpelt was there, with Robinwing and Fuzzypelt, and yes, Bluefur had to be there, with Dappletail and White-eye.

"It feels weird, training with the warriors," he commented.

Fuzzypelt grumbled. "Yes, and _we're_ already done our training. Why do we have to train with an apprentice?"

His fur prickled with dislike towards the black warrior.

"Okay," Thistleclaw meowed. "We're going to set up a mock battle. White-eye, you can have Bluefur, Fuzzypelt and Robinwing. I'll have Tigerpaw, Thrushpelt and Dappletail. My team will try to capture that bramble bush. White-eye, your team will try to capture the ferns."

Tigerpaw nodded. They had done this in the Dark Forest last night. He was bursting with energy, and felt like he could take on the whole of LionClan. He bounded over to Thistleclaw. "What's our plan?" he meowed.

"Thrushpelt, you're fast. You try to sneak over the bramble bush while the rest of us distract him. Dappletail, you guard the ferns, and me and Tigerpaw will try to fend them off. Actually," he added, "Thrushpelt, I want you for the fighting, so Dappletail, stay away from the fighting, but instead try to reach the bramble bush without getting noticed."

The she-cat nodded. "What about the—"

" _Go!"_ Bluefur yowled.

Confused, Tigerpaw sprang into battle. He saw Thistleclaw fighting off White-eye and Fuzzypelt, and Bluefur was attacking Thrushpelt. That meant that only Robinwing was left guarding the ferns. He spotted the dusky brown she-cat flick her eyes warily around. He narrowed his eyes and was about to leap when Bluefur bowled him over.

He spitted with fury, he clawed the gray-blue she-cat. She lashed out with her forepaws, but the blow was still strong, and connected. Tigerpaw noticed Dappletail creeping out from behind a juniper bush, looking cautiously around. Momentarily distracted, Bluefur seized the opportunity and leaped at him again, knocking him to the ground. He went limp, and got ready to surge up. _Not yet_ , he told himself.

Bluefur yowled in triumph and loosened her grip. Tigerpaw surged up, sending the blue-gray she-cat flying. Quickly he leaped towards Robinwing, who wasn't being attacked. He leaped forward, but at the same moment Dappletail burst from the bushes. Robinwing was taken aback by the sudden attack.

"I'll get the bramble bush," he gasped, leaving Dappletail to claw Robinwing. He was about to leap in beside the bramble bush when he heard a yowl of triumph from the other side of the clearing. Fuzzypelt was standing beside the ferns, his tail waving in excitement.

"We win!" he yowled.

"What?" Tigerpaw gasped. "But I was about to—"

Dappletail padded over to him and touched her tail-tip to his ear. "Don't," she murmured.

"Will we at least get a chance to try again?" Thistleclaw meowed. Bluefur nodded curtly.

Tigerpaw unsheathed his claws. "Let's go!" Thistleclaw beckoned with his tail. "This time, Tigerpaw"—he nodded to him—"you will try to sneak off. This time, no one will guard the ferns, but _don't be seen!"_

Tigerpaw nodded. "Okay."

"No cat will guard the ferns," Thistleclaw continued, "but make sure that no cat sees Tigerpaw. If they do, attack them so they can't yowl out. Got it?" Every cat nodded. Then Thistleclaw raised his voice. "Go!"

Thistleclaw bounded forward with Dappletail, as Thrushpelt caterwauled challenge and leaped onto Bluefur.

Tigerpaw turned around and fled into the trees. Now what? he thought. I'll go around the sandy hollow, he decided. Quietly, he traced his way back to the sandy hollow and started to creep forward. Eventually he looped around to the bramble bush. Yowling in triumph, he pounced on Fuzzypelt, who was guarding the bramble, and raised his tail.

"I win!" he yowled excitedly. Thistleclaw and Bluefur, who were still wrestling, broke apart, along with Thrushpelt and Robinwing.

"Well done," Thistleclaw praised. Tigerpaw nodded his thanks.

"Now what?" Fuzzypelt muttered. "Now are we going to teach the apprentice how to stalk a mouse?"

"No," Thistleclaw growled, overhearing. "Since you seem so eager to get away from here, why don't you go and hunt? We need some fresh-kill."

Fuzzypelt opened his jaws to protest, then clearly thought the better of it. He turned and stalked off into the trees.

Bluefur stared after the black tom in astonishment. "Thistleclaw, you can't just order warriors that are older than you around!"

"Actually, yes, I can. You're looking at the next Clan deputy, just in case you haven't noticed," Thistleclaw retorted. "Now," he meowed, raising his voice, "we're going to practice some battle techniques."

"Okay." Tigerpaw unsheathed his claws.

"Bluefur, why don't you show Tigerpaw what to do against a bigger cat that twice his size?"

Bluefur narrowed her eyes, then spat, "Fine. But if you think you can order me around, you can't." Her voice softened as she added, "Tigerpaw, come here. Pretend that I'm Crookedjaw, for example. Let's see what you can do, then we'll work on techniques."

Tigerpaw sheathed his claws again, remembering just in time that this wasn't the Dark Forest. Then, without warning he leaped.

Quick as lightning, Bluefur crouched down, so instead of hitting her shoulders like he had intended, he landed on her back. Bluefur yowled in triumph and twisted, so that he felt himself being squashed by the greater weight. But Shredtail had taught him what to do in these kind of situations.

Quick as a snake, he wriggled out of her grip. Caught unbalanced, she fell to her side. She scrambled to her paws, but in that moment that it took her to recover, he caught her with a blow to the shoulder, and bowled her over.

"Well done, Tigerpaw." Thrushpelt sounded impressed.

"Yes, where did you learn that leap-and-twist move?" Robinwing put in.

"Well, I kind of worked it out for myself," he stammered.

"Oh," Thrushpelt sounded disappointed, then brightened as he added, "well, maybe you could teach it to us!"

"Well…" Tigerpaw shuffled his paws.

"Maybe not right now," Thistleclaw intervened. "I'm going to take Tigerpaw hunting."

Flashing his mentor a grateful glance, he turned and padded after Thistleclaw. "What can you scent?" Thistleclaw asked.

Tigerpaw lifted his head and tasted the air. "A dog, with his Twoleg, but it's stale. Yesterday's, I'd guess. I can smell Tawnyspots's patrol, heading for Sunningrocks, and I can smell a—" he broke off, staring at Thistleclaw in horror. "I can smell fox!"

Thistleclaw opened his jaws. "You're right," he meowed, "and it's fresh. If we follow the scent we'll be able to track it down."

He took off through the trees, with Tigerpaw close behind. He stopped as a reek of fox flooded over his senses, much stronger than before. He whipped around, snarling, and saw the fox no more than three tail-lengths away, growling at him.

Fearlessly he leaped at the fox, clawing its muzzle. The fox let out a shriek of pain. He heard Thistleclaw yowl and he turned just in time to see him fly straight at the fox, yowling a challenge. Thistleclaw raked his claws down its side.

Tigerpaw hurled himself at the fox, rage burning in his belly. This was ThunderClan's territory! The fox lashed out with his front paws, sending him flying. He landed against a tree, a lay there, winded. The fox barked out a challenge. Faintly he saw Thistleclaw yowl in rage, leaping for the fox's muzzle.

The forest started to shrink away, spinning until it was only a distant light in a forest of darkness. Then the light winked out and everything went black.

 **Cliffhanger:) sorry bout that. I hope you liked this chapter! - ivyleaf:)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! This is a new chapter! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review! Also, Pondfrost helped me write this story, so if you want to check her story out, it's called Tear Each Other Apart. Thanks!**

 _Everything hurt. From the tips of_ his ears to his paws, he ached. He tried to move but he couldn't. "Shh…" murmured a voice. "Be still and all will be well."

He tried to scramble into a sitting position, but a paw pushed him down again, softly. "Shh…" murmured the voice again. "Go back to sleep."

The next time Tigerpaw opened his eyes, he found himself in Featherwhisker's den. "Huh?" he meowed groggily. "What happened?"

"You were injured by the fox," meowed Featherwhisker. "Thistleclaw chased it off into RiverClan territory. You're lucky you didn't hit your head! What was Thistleclaw thinking, trying to fight a fox with only an untrained apprentice as his backup!"

Featherwhisker seemed shocked, but Tigerpaw knew his mentor was the best, bravest cat in the whole forest! How many other cats could fight off a full grown fox by themselves? Tigerpaw pictured the same twist-and-grab move that Thistleclaw had used on the fox that they had practiced over and over again, in both the sandy hollow and the Dark Forest. _I can't wait to get back to training!_ Tigerpaw thought. _Oh no! What if my shoulder keeps me from learning new battle moves?_

He tried to push himself up, but razor sharp pain stabbed through his shoulder. He winced. _Real warriors feel no pain!_ Silverhawk's yowl sliced through his foggy haze. _I am_ not _weak!_ He thought angrily. This time, when he tried to heave himself to his paws, pure determination held him up. The pain was almost too much for him, but it was all worth it when he saw Featherwhisker's look of shock.

"Bu-But cats stay in their nests for days after this kind of fox attack! How could you be… but it's not possible…" He stammered.

"I… I'm a _real_ warrior. And I'm not _weak!_ " He grunted through clenched teeth.

Featherwhisker just stared.

Tigerpaw watched as Featherwhisker padded out of the den, shaking his head. Tigerpaw immediately collapsed. He was tired, and his head hurt. _Maybe I'll just rest for a bit…_ Tigerpaw thought.

When he woke up, it was past sunhigh. The tempting smell of fresh-kill the hunting patrol had just caught wafted into the medicine den. He sat up and began washing. Suddenly, a large shadow blocked the entrance and meowed:

"Are you reading to start training again?" Thistleclaw mewed. His tone sharpened "You've missed a lot. I thought any apprentice of mine would be back on their paws within a day whether it was one measly fox or all of ShadowClan attacking!

"I just…" He began. "I thought…"

"I didn't think they would make excuses either! Stand up, and let's go." He meowed, a hint of a snarl in his voice.

"Please Thistleclaw, can't you see he's worn out?" A gray cat stood in the entrance of the den. "I know you want him to be a great warrior, but you need to understand—"

"I think what _you_ need to understand, Bluefur, is that this is _my_ apprentice! _I_ decide what he can or can't do!" Thistleclaw hissed. "Shouldn't you be hunting? Leaf-bare is coming, and we need as much prey as we can!"

"Thistleclaw! You are not deputy! You can't tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing!" Bluefur mewed, shocked.

"Not _yet_ , Bluefur, not yet. And when I am—" Thistleclaw snarled.

"No! I have heard enough!" Bluestar fled the den, calling over her shoulder. "Sunstar will hear of this!"

"Let her tell the old fool." Thistleclaw hissed quietly. "Tigerpaw, stand up."

The cold fury in his voice shocked the apprentice so much he immediately scrambled to his paws. Thistleclaw slipped out of the medicine den silently, Tigerpaw in tow.

The next day, Thistleclaw brought Tigerpaw to the sandy hollow. They had been training since sunrise and Tigerpaw was exhausted. "Let's _go_ , Tigerpaw! What are you—" Thistleclaw's impatient meow was cut short when Bluestar emerged from the bushes.

"Thistleclaw." Her soft mew echoed in the silent hollow.

"Bluefur." His growl conveyed his contempt for the silvery grey she-cat. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to tell you that you and Tigerpaw are patrolling with me. Tawnyspots sent me." She was barely able to keep the hiss out of her voice. "Near Tallpines."

"Hmph… I suppose you'll feel right at home with all the soft kittypets." Thistleclaw sneered.

"Thistleclaw!" She said sharply. She sighed deeply. "Let's go."

Tigerpaw heaved himself to his paws, panting. They set off towards the two-leg place. The birds twittered overhead, reminding Tigerpaw of how he had not had the chance to raid the fresh-kill pile before they had left for battle-training.

Bluestar fell in step with him.

"Are you hungry?" She whispered.

His first reaction was anger. How dare she assume he was weak! But he soon realized she was simply worried about him.

"Yes… But—" he mewed.

"Then you may hunt. Bury any extra and we'll get it on our way back." She meowed kindly. "We're on border patrol, so you needn't worry about breaking the warrior code, but don't forget, leaf-bare is approaching fast and any extra prey would be welcome."

"But I—" Tigerpaw mewed. "I haven't really hunted that much, only once near the beginning of my apprenticeship."

"You can't hunt?" Bluefur snorted. "I would think Thistleclaw would have any apprentice training from dawn until dusk. Come on, this is a great opportunity for you to show me what you can do."

"I can _hunt_ ," Tigerpaw retorted hotly. "Just not very well!"

"What do you in the hours that train?" Bluefur hissed.

" _Battle_ training!" he muttered.

" _What_? You're nine moons old and you've only hunted once? I'm going to report this to—"

"To who? Sunstar? Of _course_ I've been training him," meowed a new voice. Thistleclaw stepped out from behind a bramble bush ahead. "What are you doing, Bluefur? Aren't we supposed to be patrolling? Let's go, Tigerpaw."

Bluefur stared in shock at Thistleclaw. "You haven't taught him how to _hunt_ properly, for StarClan's sake."

"So?" demanded Thistleclaw. "Have you got a problem with that? He's _my_ apprentice, not yours!"

"That doesn't mean you are allowed to only train him to fight! There's more to being a warrior than fighting!" Bluefur yowled impatiently.

"Really? Where would we be if we hadn't won against RiverClan?" Thistleclaw retorted.

"All they wanted was one piece of prey-poor territory!" Bluefur hissed. "Where would we be if we didn't hunt? Face it, Thistleclaw. You need to teach this apprentice to hunt. If you don't, some cat else will."

"Don't you see, Bluefur?" Thistleclaw demanded, eyes blazing. "We are surrounded by enemies! RiverClan is threatening Sunningrocks, while WindClan is stealing prey, and every cat knows ShadowClan can't be trusted! The only way to survive is to strike first! And besides, why are you always so concerned about RiverClan anyways?"

Bluefur looked slightly disconcerted, then, changing the subject, hissed, "Thistleclaw, listen to yourself. You must remember, we are also surrounded by friends and allies. There have always been four Clans in the forest. And though there may come times of division, empty bellies, short tempers and cold hearts, though there may be four Clans and many a battle and fight, we will always be united as one. That is the will of StarClan, and all of the fallen warriors and lost friends in Silverpelt." Her eyes seemed to reflect starlight, though it was only sunhigh.

Thistleclaw snorted. He turned around and flicked his tail, motioning for Bluefur and Tigerpaw to follow.

Tigerpaw padded slowly after Thistleclaw. What if Bluefur was right? _Maybe I do need to learn to hunt properly. If Thistleclaw won't teach me, then I'll teach myself. I don't need Bluefur, but I do need to learn how to hunt._

They traveled through the forest at a quick pace, and soon they were at Tallpines. "Breathe in deeply, Tigerpaw. What can you scent?"

Tigerpaw parted his jaws to taste the air. "Twoleg, the Treecut monster, dog, but it's stale. It's been at least two days. And… kittypet! I can scent a kittypet! In _our_ territory! Let me chase it out! I can take on any soft kitty!" Tigerpaw growled in excitement.

Thistleclaw nodded slightly, looking pleased.

"Use your tracking skills, Tigerpaw," Thistleclaw urged him. Tigerpaw nodded briefly. He began to track the scent until he emerged into a small clearing. And there sat a small black cat that was looking around at the surrounding forest like it had never seen a tree before.

"Oh look, a little intruder," Thistleclaw hissed softly.

"Ha, ha," Tigerpaw snorted.

"Thistleclaw, he's only a kit! He won't cause any harm!"

"Silence, Bluefur. You have always been soft towards kittypets," Thistleclaw ordered. "Let's leave it to my apprentice. What do you think, Tigerpaw? I think we should teach this kit a lesson that he won't forget."

 _Yes_! Tigerpaw thought. He flew at the kit, flipping him onto the ground. The little collar flew off of the tiny kit.

"Tigerpaw, _stop!_ " Bluefur interrupted.

"But I was only defending my territory," Tigerpaw argued.

"You have. And I'm sure the kit has learned his lesson. Now, let's get back to camp." Bluefur ordered.

Bluefur turned away from the bleeding kit and padded back in the direction of camp. Her tail flicked. Tigerpaw stepped forward, making as if to follow her, but suddenly his paw stabbed with fierce pain.

"Ah!" He cried out. He looked down. A large thorn was embedded in his pad. Bluefur stepped forward, but before she could do anything, Thistleclaw growled.

"He'll be fine. Let him deal with the pain himself. He's not a kit anymore. If _you_ hadn't softened him, he wouldn't feel any pain at _all_!" He snarled.

Bluefur's head whipped around to face him. She stepped a little closer. "You." She hissed, her blue eyes glittering like ice. "You will _not_ make me believe that this was my fault."

Thistleclaw's eyes were filled with malice.

" _This_ might not have been your fault, but Snowfur's _death_ was! You killed her! I lost my mate! I _loved_ her!" His claws ripped into the ground, as though he were itching to dig them into her fur. "And to make things worse, you softened my son, Whitekit! I _hate_ you!"

Bluefur reeled back in horror. "Snowfur's death was an _accident_!" She hissed. "She was hit by a monster!"

"Any cat that believes that lie is a bigger fool than you!" Thistleclaw's eyes were round with fury. "You were the reason she died, not some kit's tale about her being foolish enough to be killed by a monster. Because if you didn't kill her… It doesn't matter! You did, and I will never forgive you!"

Bluefur stared at Thistleclaw in shock. "You think I would kill my own _sister?"_

"Yes, I do," Thistleclaw hissed. "All you've ever wanted to do is hurt me!"

 _Does Thistleclaw really believe that Bluefur killed Snowfur?_ Tigerpaw wondered. _Bluefur is ambitious, but I don't think she would ever kill her own sister just to hurt Thistleclaw._

Bluefur stared at Thistleclaw. "Anyone who believes your lies is a fool," she rasped. The leaves on the bush rustled as she left. Then silence.

"You don't believe that crow-food eater, do you?" Thistleclaw asked after a moment.

"N-no," Tigerpaw stammered. "Of course not."

"Good. I _will_ revenge Snowfur's death," he vowed, his eyes as cold as the darkest corner in ShadowClan.

Thistleclaw's eyes were glowing with triumph as he shared his plan with Tigerpaw. And as they headed back to camp, Tigerpaw couldn't help but suppressing a cold shiver.

Tigerpaw opened his eyes as the moldy, sour scent of the Dark forest hit his mouth. A shadow loomed in front of him and Tigerpaw hissed and backed away. The shadow raised its paw and all Tigerpaw saw was the silver glint of a claw before his legs were swept out from under him.

"You must always be ready for combat!" Shredtail snarled. "It doesn't matter how strong you are if a cat can catch you by surprise and slit your throat before you can get your claws up."

Tigerpaw crouched, ready to retaliate. _I'll become the strongest cat in the forest, and nobody will be able to take me by surprise._ He reared up onto his hind paws and struck a hard blow onto Shredtail's shoulder. Shredtail hissed and stumbled slightly. Tigerpaw saw his opportunity. He darted forward and raked his claws down Shredtail's belly. Shredtail howled and lay limp on the murky ground.

 _Have I killed him?_ Then he saw him twitching feebly. _No._ Shredtail dragged himself up. "Well fought, Tigerpaw. You're learning well. Come, there is something that I must show you before you leave today."

He turned and headed out of the clearing into the gloomy forest. Tigerpaw ran to catch up with him. "Where are we going?"

Shredtail kept on walking. "You'll see." They kept walking for what felt like ages until the gloomy trees starting turning into pine ones. Tigerpaw looked down and saw that the ground was muddy underpaw.

"Where _are_ we?" Tigerpaw asked in astonishment.

"We are now in ShadowClan territory," Shredtail replied.

 _What?_ Tigerpaw gasped. He forced himself to stay calm. "What are we doing here?" he asked evenly.

"We're going to visit Brokenpaw in his dreams," Shredtail replied.

"Who is Brokenpaw?" Tigerpaw wondered.

"He is a cat who has a lot of potential to train in the dark forest." Shredtail growled. "And _you_ are going to help me recruit him ."

"What?" Tigerpaw gasped. "Me?" Thistleclaw nodded. "But… I'm only an apprentice!"

"So is he. That is why you are perfect to be able to convince him."

Tigerpaw hesitated. _Does Brokenpaw really feel as much hate as I do? Does he_ deserve _to be in the Dark Forest?_

"Just go!" Shredtail hissed. "What are you waiting for?"

Tigerpaw sighed. He started towards Brokenpaw, a dark brown tabby. Brokenpaw whirled around. "What are _you_ doing here? Get out of my territory!"

"Shh…" Tigerpaw tried to reassure him. "You're only dreaming!"

"Then who are you?" Brokenpaw growled. "Get out of my dream!"

"You see…" Tigerpaw started to explain. "I'm from a place called the Dark Forest. The Dark Forest is for…"

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter:) see you later!**


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